#12Booksof2021 My pick from July is this epic work of graphic journalism. Sacco travels to the Canadian Northwest Territories to interview members of the Dene Nation. Covers their past, present and struggle for the future. Deep & eye-opening.
pickAs usual, Joe Sacco doesn't disappoint with this graphic documentary about the Canadian Northwest Territories. He documents the history of these territories, how the natives used to live, the arrival of the Europeans, the treaties, how developments change the way of life of the natives... But this book is mainly about the present, about the effect all this is having.
It's a very interesting read, as it shows the challenges faced by the natives.
Joe: “What do you mean by paying the land, Erick?”
Erick: “You give it something. A bullet, perhaps water, tobacco or tea. It‘s like visiting someone. You bring the land a gift.”
[Grade 8 girl]: “I‘m going to get drunk until I black out.”
[Teacher: Why?]
[girl]: “That way I won‘t know who abuses me. I won‘t remember.”
The rate of sexual assault in the NWT is 5 times the national average, according to Statistics Canada‘s 2016 report, surpassed only in Nunavut, where the rate is more than 7 times the national average.
“…outside activists paint oil and gas extraction apocalyptically, as if this is going to end the world.”
I am encountering a lot of eschatology in my reading lately, even in nonfiction comics like this.
Paying the Land | 
